National Republican., 1887-07-15
The wbeeiman's Side of the ouestio

The wheeiman's Side of the Question.
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: Some
people say that am too old to ride bl.
cycle. Well, how can help It shall be
very much obliged II they will tell me how
to become younger, so that may have
more years left to ride Bicycling affords
an opportunity for the study Of human ma
ture in some of its queer phases. The pass
ing faces are eloquent. Some look up with
| lively appreciation Of our enjoyment
| Of the winged wheel, aud others turn
| away in sour contempt for both wheel
| and rider; some look both ways along the
street before attempting to cross 1t; Others
trust us to furnish brains to look out for
their welfare. II that particular "usn hap
! pens to have any brains about him al
| the time, those Others may fare well, and
| vice versa. Some move straight forward
about their business, and VIC can calculate
| within foot where to cross with safety be
| fore or behind them; others start to cross at
a long. diagonal, then sleepily waver, then
| possibly return to the same side When
| see one OF these sleep-walkers ahead
| expect trouble, whether / 90 to the
| right or left or fast or slow. They
cannot be depended upon. Sometimes,
| when l am congratulating myself on having
safely passed behind one Of them, 1t is very
embarrassing to suddenly find him trying 10
straddle my front wheel. You see, bicycling
is business in which there is no backing
out unless there Is plenty Of room to turn
around. In tight place 1t is go ahead or
nothing. Sometimes find knots Of people
standing on the street and looking to see
how far away horse car is, and no matter
how far of 1t Is they stand there blocking
the passageway until the car arrives, lest
others get the best seats. naturally sup
pose that l have strayed on to the side
| walk. But no, the people were In the high
way, and looked daggers at me for wanting
room to pass along. What good would a
bell do Those people saw me coming, but
they had selected spots to stand on, and did
In spite OF the daggers once got out Of
such place alive, but strongly impressed
with the diversities OF opinion on the ques-
tions OF meumt et tuum.
One day, after nice shower had cleared
away, strolled down Capitol Hill on my
cycle. Everybody was out, and the car
riageway was dotted with pedestrians walk
aagstone pavement at each side exclusively
devoted to their use, where wheels are
not allowed and on which there were very
few people. The rubber tire on my wheel
was wet, and the brake could not hold
enough to prevent my going very fast.
crete, and pedestrians filled the smooth
Into one Of those pits snapped Off my brake
rod, and my machine flew away uDre-
strained. Two herdics meeting ahead,
and the people, barred my way. Another
second, sand there must be crash. |
jumped off my wheels and hung like grin
death to the handles, running alongside,
and soon brought 1t to the curbstone,
against which 1t stopped, and laid 1t gently
down to think.
| A future generation OF scientists, finding
my tracks, will declare that men forty feet
high once Travelled Capitol Hill. Where
were the police that they did not arrest me
for fast ridingP would gladly have paid
the fine for the privilege of being arrested
in that act. Where are the police every day,
whose duty 1t Is to keep the highways uu-
obstructedp Foot travellers have not par
ticle more right to obstruct the carriage
ways by walking along the middle OF them
than carriages have to drive on the side
walks. Bells and lanterns will not furnish
caution to the reckless, whether they be
riders or walkers. Now II the commission
ers insist on our jingling bell and carry
ing lantern on our cycles, suggest that
they also require all pedestrians to have
arrows like weathercocks mounted on their
hats to show which way they are going.
OLD BICYCLIsT.
| [Old Bicyclist makes complaint, and with
a strong show Of reason, against the ex-
tremely rough approaches to the Smithso
nian grounds on the north and east, and
suggests that there be provided at least one
decently smooth crossing from Pennsylva
| mia avenue to the park,